My December

Kelly Clarkson | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 26, 2007
• Label: RCA Records Label
• Copyright: (P) 2007 19 Recordings Limited
• Total Length: 51:25
• Genres:
• ASIN: B00157NQ7Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (369 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,660 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wake up!, June 26, 2007

By 

~+~ Mistress Anne Boleyn ~+~ "Lizzie" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My December (Audio CD)

I was never a Kelly Clarkson fan until this week. I didn't watch her on American Idol. I bought her first CD because I liked the single "A Moment Like This," but wound up disliking the rest of the CD. Sure, I found all those Top 10 hits from Breakaway catchy, but they were just so sugary. There was no real emotion in them; it was blatantly obvious that they existed solely to become hits and sell CDs. After a while, "Since U Been Gone," "Breakaway," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," and "Because of You" melted into one big, mindless pop song trying to cash in on the emo craze and simultaneously retain pop radio appeal. And while they did get stuck in my head, I refused to listen to them because they seemed so obviously manufactured.

Not so with this disc. I downloaded it when it leaked on the Internet, just to see if it was any better than Breakaway. At that time, I hadn't heard about the controversy surrounding the album, so I wasn't biased in Kelly's favor; if anything, I had exceedingly low expectations for the album. Instead, I fell in love with it at first listen.

These songs are overtly different. They're not trying to be bouncy summer radio sing-alongs. They're not trying to reel you in with catchy hooks and keep you satisfied with lightweight melodies and inconsequential lyrics. These songs are heartfelt and, at times, downright hardcore. The lyrics aren't world-changing, but they ring true, and their titles are blessedly devoid of cutesy intentional misspellings. My December may not be steak, but it's certainly more filling than Breakaway-esque cotton candy.

In fact, when I first listened to the album, it reminded me of nothing so much as Origin-era Evanescence: pre-Fallen, pre-fame, pre-studio gloss. Those songs were much less polished, and would never have survived on contemporary radio, but they were more raw, more real, and they possessed an emotional incandescence that was never matched by any of Evanescence's later material. One could conjure a mental image of the band actually writing, channeling, experiencing them. So it is with this disc.

After falling for this album, I watched Kelly's CMT special with Reba McEntire, and for the first time, I realized how immensely talented Kelly truly is. I never would have noticed had I not listened to this disc. I can now say that I am a true Kelly Clarkson fan, and I will be buying this CD on my next trip to Wal-Mart. There are very few artists whose albums I deem worthy of buying after sampling them online, but I believe that Kelly has earned my money and my support with this album, and I hope that it does extremely well for her.

135 of 164 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kelly's Ready!, June 25, 2007

By 

A* (New York, N.Y. United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My December (Audio CD)

Everyone knows by now the problems that Clarkson has had with this disc -- well, the problems the higher ups have had with letting Clarkson have her own voice on record. But this is nothing new. In the world of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Clarkson had the guts to tinker with what worked. A poppy, melody written style that sucked in everyone who had ears. Did the change do her good? Yes-yes-yes. Is her album perfect? No. Who has made a perfect album? Not a dang soul out there.

What makes this album work so well. Is that Clarkson is TRYING!!!! Trying so hard not to be some cookie, cutter waif, with bleach blonde hair, kohl rimmed eyes, and a snarky attitude. The woman has substance. Songs like "Sober," with it's build up to an almost necessary rant is just plain talent!!! The disc pops with tracks that show a woman in transition. The contemplative "Irvine" with its hollow melody and Patty Griffin like simplicity is marvelous and Clarkson can drudge out a sour note like no other popstar on the market.

Clive Davis offered her a truck load of money to put more "sellable" songs on the disc and she chose not too -- again, guts! Clarkson is growing as a sonwriter. And its bumpy for her. Her lyrics, at times, are too simple, but when they hit the right mark -- she tells a relatebale story. A girl/becoming a woman in a world where she's feeling a lot less secure. When Clarkson sings: "Let it go ..." on "Be Still" there is a quiet pain in what she sings, a great connection to the lyric.

Guts alone to take a chance on your own vision as an artist should merit you credit. But when you work at it and it comes out as solid as Clarkson's "My December," you want to stand and cheer for the girl. She nails it. Daivs must also be a little deaf, if "Yeah" with its shout-back chorus and "One Minute" aren't radio friendly hits -- I don't know what is.

Congrats on, so far, having the best album of the year, Ms. Clarkson!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing...., June 26, 2007

By 

Jessica Stevenson (GLENDALE, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My December (Audio CD)

This album had so much negativity surrounding it, that some people wouldn't even give it a chance. I am SO happy Kelly took a chance and put HER album out there. I am so happy she didn't record based on anything being "radio friendly," and I am even happier she didn't feel the need to release a more positive album. In my opinion, the album is not negative. It is refreshing and inspiring. It tells us that we can have the worst of times and get through it. We aren't alone. It is truly amazing.

Her vocals are amazing as always and her lyrics are beautiful. The emotion she has in her songs is remarkable.